Frozen Ground Beef in the Instant Pot is a fast and convenient way to thaw and cook a frozen block of ground beef. Use your pressure cooker to quickly cook frozen hamburger meat. Have cooked ground beef ready for your recipe!
Frozen Ground Beef in the Instant Pot
There are several Instant Pot® hacks that I really like. This is one of them. If you have ever forgotten to thaw out your pound of hamburger meat, and had your dinner plans messed up, then this hack is for you!
This method of cooking ground beef from frozen works with up to 2 ponds of meat (that I have tested so far). Go ahead and try it with more if you need to, though it may overcook the edges.
Helpful tips for cooking frozen ground beef in the Instant pot
- Before you freeze the meat, remove the plastic pad thing on the bottom. They are a pain to take off while frozen!
- Use the trivet. Unless you want to boil the hamburger meat, set it on the trivet, up out of the water.
- Natural Release for a few minutes to help the meat retain more moisture.
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If you don’t already have a trivet with handles, here is a good one: Steamer Rack Trivet with Heat Resistant Silicone Handles (affiliate).
See my Instant Pot Accessories post for more ideas!
Does this work with frozen ground turkey?
Yes it does! It is important to check the internal temperature if you are not going to cook it further after using this method. It should be 165° F.
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Watch the video to see how easy it is to cook frozen ground beef in the Instant Pot!
The Instant Pot is a fast and convenient way to thaw and cook a frozen block of ground beef. Use your pressure cooker to quickly cook frozen hamburger meat and have cooked ground beef ready for your recipe!
- 1 cup Water (for the pot)
- 1-2 lbs Frozen Ground Beef
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Place the trivet in the pot and add the water.
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Place the frozen block of ground beef on the trivet.
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Close the lid and set the steam release knob to the Sealing position.
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Press the Pressure Cook/Manual button or dial, then the +/- button or dial to select cook time in minutes. High Pressure. The pot will take several minutes to come to pressure.
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For 1 lb of meat, cook for 20 minutes, for 2 lbs cook for 23 minutes. In some cases, the meat may not cook all the way through, but will be thawed and you can sauté it if you need it fully cooked.
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When the cook cycle has finished, turn off the pot and let it sit undisturbed for 5 minutes (5 minute natural release). Then turn the steam release knob to the Venting position to release the remaining steam/pressure.
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When the pin in the lid drops back down, open the lid.
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Remove the trivet with the cooked meat on it and move the meat to a plate. The meat will stay in the shape of a block.
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Use a fork or chopper/stirrer utensil to break up the meat.
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Now you can use the meat in your recipe!
RESOURCES TO MAKE this recipe and more
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Tori
I found this technique so amazing. This is going to be a valuable resource for me. Thank you so much for creating it!
Georgia
I tried this with a roll of ground venison this morning and it was still bloody when I removed the lid. It was easy enough to remove the trivet and saute until cooked. Not sure if it was due to being in a roll, or if venison would need longer to cook, but it thawed the meat easily 🤣
Sandy
Probably because it was in a roll as they tend to be thicker than the rectangle packages. I’m glad it ended up working for you!
Kaye M.
I have frozen my 1 lb of ground beef in quarter lb portions. How long should I cook one of the portions in my 3 quart?
Sandy
Try 10 minutes with a 10 minute natural release.
Natalie
Such a great hack! I use this to cook my frozen solid blocks of local beef packed in plastic by my butcher. It always takes so long to defrost, and I frequently forget to take it out of the freezer ahead of time. This is a major timesaver!
Tisha Robbins
I had a half beef processed so I have ground beef in 1 pound chubs. I put 3 of them on my trivet and chose 30 minutes high pressure with complete natural release. It was cooked through. Then I set out the trivet to the side while I drained the pot of water and grease. I dumped the meat back in, then used my hand mixer to break apart. Turned on the saute function, added taco seasoning and water and viola! Taco meat in one pot without heating up the kitchen. Love being able to cook from frozen.